I'm hoping this helps out I know with all the hype of the Thunderbolt there's quite a few users new to android that see how people are customizing and wanting to know, and repeat after repeat of questions and bringing a lot of unneeded hostility around here. Feel free to add what ever you guys think is something that is repetitively brought up. I'm running kind of short on sleep, so if I left anything out let me know!
Remember to always follow instructions and SEARCH SEARCH SEARCH before making a new thread
Remember to always Wipe Data/Factory reset/Wipe cache/wipe dalvik cache to insure a clean, fresh bug free install.
Also ALWAYS make a backup of what ever current rom before flashing a new one
Lastly, DO NOT treat the devs with disrespect they are losing sleep/girlfriends/what ever to give us these roms and kernels and everything else for free. If something gets messed up do not come at them with hostility or it will only be returned. The people of XDA will HELP you, but only if you've searched and tried to help yourself first. Also don't forget to donate to the dev's from time to time for their monster/beer/hookers and all their time and effort.
Thunderbolt Root Users Dictionary:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1143188
Back up Date before rooting
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1193901
How To Root your Thunderbolt
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=996616
How to Root via Mac OS
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1011623
REVOLUTIONARY ROOTwww.revoultionary.io
Easy Auto Root:(Although this is not the recommended way, I've used it before and had no issues.)
Video guide:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQYoeFrJ1Jk
Download links
TB Auto-Root : http://www.multiupload.com/NOK55G17MZ
HTC SYNC : http://handheld.softpedia.com/get/Desktop-and-Shell/Windows/HTC-Sync-81096.shtml
Lost data after rooting? Try these steps
oneders65 said:
This is what I did.
1.) Flashed my phone back to Stock S-ON usine this link.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1009423
when you reboot the phone make sure you wait until you get a 3G/4G signal. If you start the process of setting up your phone to quick it will cause your phone not to activate the data connection.
2.) ROOTED my phone and at each boot made sure I had 3G/4G connection before setting up phone. (Downgrade and Upgrade).
3.) This let me keep my data connection all the way through.
Credits
Scotty2, jamezelle, jcase, and all of Team AndIRC
Testers, especially ProTekk and Trident
Thanks to scotty2 for WPThis
Busybox was pulled from a CyanogenMod ROM, source should be available here
psneuter was pulled from somewhere, credit to scotty2, source here
All firmware credit goes to 911sniper
Jaroslav from Android Police for editorial help
dbzfanatic
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How To UNROOT your thunderbolt
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1009423&highlight=Un+root
To help decide whether you want Gingerbread or Froyo
Differences between Gingerbread and Froyo
http://androidheadlines.com/2011/01/differences-between-android-2-2-froyo-and-2-3-gingerbread.html
ROMS and Kernels:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1081930
Team Mikmik aka Gingeritis ROMs since people don't know where they went
http://www.themikmik.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=271
I see CyanogenMod around what is that?
http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/index.php?title=Main_Page
I installed a GB rom and all my texts time stamps are off
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.mattprecious.smsfix&feature=search_result
Activate>use phone time has fixed every issue with this for me!
Radios:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1048128&highlight=radio
Thunderbolt Themes and Apps:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=944
How to help Improve battery life (Courtesy of Guitarchris123):
If you easily get a full day's use with stock settings, then ignore this. But the ThunderBolt is a powerful 1GHz smartphone made by HTC with a fairly small stock battery, large 4.3" screen, LTE capability, and Sense UI, so battery life may be a concern to you. There is no magic app or single technique that will make your battery last all day with heavy use, but if you utilize some of the following tips you WILL notice a significant increase in your battery life. Everyone's use is different, so 6-9 hours on one charge may be enough for some while others need 12-15 hours. Some of these may not be necessary, appropriate, or desirable for all users, so just pick which ones work for your purposes and preferences. You might prefer to keep using some of the particular features mentioned, as the benefit for you might outweigh the minimal savings in battery life. The point of this is to show people how to disable or limit features they don't need, not force them to shut down everything the phone was built to do. Feel free to add your own suggestions as well or ask any questions about the techniques.
1. Settings: (use an app or widget that helps you quickly toggle them, eg. built-in widgets, or from market such as Elixir, Quick Settings, or MySettings)
a. Screen –go to settings/display, turn down Brightness (20-30%), set Timeout to 30 secs, manually turn off by quickly pushing top button when not using anymore (instead of waiting). I have personally found that I like setting timeout at 1 min better, and manually turning off the screen with the top button every time I am done using it before I put it down or away in my pocket, that way it doesn't waste itself timing out or shut off on me when I don't want it to yet.
b. GPS – always turn off when not using, and plug into car charger (or car dock if you have one) during extended use
c. Bluetooth – always turn off when not using
d. 4G – always turn off when not using, only use when you need the speed, (the TB will get a toggle either in an update or in app form at some point, in the meantime there are several methods to accomplish this)
e. Mobile hotspot – always turn off when not using, plug into charger when in use if you can
f. WiFi – turn off when not near a WiFi signal for an extended period of time, but always use when available (faster than 3G, uses less battery), go to settings/wireless & networks/WiFi settings, press menu button and tap Advanced then WiFi Sleep policy and select“Never”, this sounds counter-intuitive, but it actually uses less power because when WiFi sleeps 3G or 4G wakes up to sync, get email, and retrieve other data (WiFi connection disables 3G/4G). Also uncheck Best WiFi Performance if its checked.
2. Background/wallpaper - use a static image instead of a live wallpaper (but these are cool, so use one if you really want to, they only drain for the short amount of time you are looking at the launcher screens). Many say the live wallpaper drain is minimal, but I noticed a significant amount while using a live one so I went to static. Have any of you tried both and noticed much of a difference yet?
3. Window animations – go to settings/sound & display/animation and select“no animations”
4. Keyboard vibration – turn off vibration function (haptic feedback) for when you hit a key (helps with speed too), go to settings/language & keyboard/touch input/text input and uncheck vibrate when typing, you can disable haptic feedback in other areas of the system by going to settings/sound, and uncheck vibrate feedback
5. Notification lights – unless you really want/need to know when something happens on your phone when you are not looking, go to settings/display/notification flash and uncheck all the boxes
6. Vibration – unless you really want this function, go to settings/sound, and uncheck vibrate
7. Monitor battery use - go to menu/settings/about phone/battery use, this will show you what is eating the most battery, uninstall troublesome unneeded app, use Running services widget by going to shortcut/settings (helps identify processes running in the background and foreground), if you want more detail check out SystemPanel in the app market, if you want to be alerted to "rogue" apps check out Watchdog Task Manager in the app market
8. Disable“always-on mobile data”– go to settings/wireless & networks/mobile networks, uncheck “Enable always-on mobile data,”you will still receive emails, texts, and phone calls, as well as internet usage, but it may cause connectivity problems in some third party apps (use manual refresh feature when opening apps to update online data)
9. WiFi and 4G network notifications – go to settings/wireless & networks and uncheck Network notification box (so phone will not constantly scan to look for open networks to tell you about)
10. Background data – if you are not using Google life-management services, go to settings/accounts & sync and uncheck Background data box (so that apps cannot sync, send, and receive data whenever it wants to, even if not currently using them). Add a homescreen shortcut to quickly toggle this (allows you to update/sync only when you want/need to).
11. Auto-sync – uncheck Auto-sync in settings/accounts & sync, or at least limit what apps are set to sync, it is better to manually sync/update/refresh in the app when you open it (set to update at launch), set update/notification frequency (polling schedule), if you do not want to turn off auto sync, just change widget or app update/notification frequency (refresh interval) in settings/accounts & sync to 30 mins or 1-2 hours, or better yet set it to update at launch, useful for Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, news, weather, Google apps, and stocks, be sure to manually sync/back up your contacts every once in a while in case you lose your phone or break it
12. Email – change sync option in settings, set email check frequency to 30 mins or 1 hour, or as items arrive, or better yet set it to never and manually refresh when you want to check/read your email
13. Camera app(s) – make sure they are not running in the background when not in use, exit/close when done
14. Video chat app(s) – make sure they are not running in the background when not in use, exit/close when done
15. Streaming app(s) – make sure they are not running in the background when not in use, exit/close when done, try to limit use or plug into a charger during use if you can
16. Google Talk – press Menu then tap All apps/talk/menu/settings and uncheck automatically sign in, make sure you exit the application by going to menu/more and selecting sign out when you are done (exiting the app by pressing home or back keys will not sign you out), if you want to receive IMs just open the application again
17. Adobe Flash Player – open browser, hit menu key, go to settings/enable plug-ins and set it to“On demand”(this way the browser only loads flash content when instructed to do so)
18. Update apps – hit menu key and to go My Apps to check for updates, even if you have selected“update automatically”because some apps require you to manually install updates (apps often get updated to use less power)
19. Location settings (updated) – go to settings/location settings. It is ok to have all of these checked, because it is the apps that use the GPS and consume power, not having these settings selected. GPS is only active when apps using it are in use.
20. Task killer – do not use them, uninstall if you currently have one, can harm phone and consume battery, just use back arrow key to exit apps instead of home key, simply monitor rogue apps instead and uninstall/replace. These are especially bad on pre-installed apps and services (many things rely on each other), so never "auto-kill" or "kill all." If you must use one, only use it on apps that you have installed that are misbehaving, otherwise let Android do it on its own.
21. Anti-virus – do not use them, uninstall if you currently have one, only download and use periodically or when you suspect a problem, do not download suspicious apps (check reviews and rating in market first)
22. Ad blocker – do not use them, uninstall if you currently have one
23. Battery meter accuracy – go to data/system and delete“batterystats.bin”after you have charged your phone to 100%
24. Tasker – can be used to automate settings (eg. based on time of day or app launched)
25. Juice Defender + Ultimate Juice – can be used to automate settings (eg. based on time of day or location)
26. Screebl - keeps backlight on while holding phone in "use" (vertical) position and turns it off when laying flat
27. Rebooting - reboot phone every few days
28. Delete unnecessary apps – determine which apps you do not need or use anymore and uninstall them, determine which apps you keep are causing the most battery drain and see if a comparable replacement from the market will do better
29. Widgets – turn off animations, do not use too many of them (choose them wisely), and delete unnecessary ones, they pull data in the background. At least make the interval/frequency of sync/updates longer for the ones you have. It may be better just to open some apps themselves instead of using the widget. Disable auto-updates on HTC Weather widget or at least set it to every few hours, manually update by tapping update icon on bottom of widget. Note that widgets that display battery, CPU, and memory utilization consume some power because they are polling the system for information.
30. No service – turn off phone or go into Airplane mode when you are in an area that does not have cell service
31. Chargers – have them handy at home, at work, and in car, and plug in when available. Try to get a 1A charger (same as included wall charger), many cheap aftermarket car chargers are only 500mAh and will not be enough to handle the GPS. VZW's car charger is 750mAh.
32. Rooting – (there are a lot more techniques that can be used with a rooted phone, such as removing bloatware and underclocking when then screen is off, but I will save that for a later thread)
33. If all else fails, buy an extended battery or have a spare handy just in case
Update1 - I came across another technique, it sounds a little strange but it apparently came from HTC regarding the EVO...some users appeared to have experienced gains from it:
34. "Calibrate" battery - (1) Turn device ON, charge it for 8 hours (or until LED turns green), (2) unplug and turn it OFF, plug it back in and charge for 1 hour (or until LED turns green), (3) unplug and turn it ON, wait 2 minutes, turn it OFF, plug it back in, and charge for 1 hour (or until LED turns green), (4) unplug it, turn it ON, and use normally. Repeat once a month or so.
Update2 - I found a few more things to suggest
35. Blockbuster app - open app, download update from market, then go to menu/settings and tap "disable movie updates." The app is set to automatically periodically scan for updates by default, and requires the new update to turn this off.
36. Friendstream - delete the widget from your home screen, open app and go to menu/settings and select update when opened. This way it isn't constantly refreshing, but rather only does so when you want to look at it by opening the app.
37. Signal strength - whether 3G, 4G, or WiFi, if whatever you are trying to connect to has a low signal strength the TB's battery will be draining trying to connect. Keep an eye on your connections, and try to be aware of when you are in poor signal areas and toggle off or switch connections if you can. Also keep in mind where your "fringe" areas are (ie. bounces between 3G/LTE/1X)
38. Apps - not all 3rd party apps are optimized for the TB, be sure to read reviews/ratings in the market to see what problems other users have had with them. Monitor your apps to see if any of them are hogging system resources (eg. CPU, RAM) and draining your battery, and delete or replace them accordingly. And remember to set the sync/update/notification frequency at longer intervals in settings within the apps that connect to the internet frequently.
39. Power saver - go to settings/power, and check enable power saver, the go to power saver settings and tweak (basically does a lot of the things we've talked about here for you automatically when you get low on battery, in case some things are left on or on higher settings than needed)
Another Battery Saver 3g/4g toggle switch:
https://market.android.com/details?id=net.andirc.lteonfoff&feature=search_result
What is SetCPU and where do I get it?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=505419
Just because it's free doesn't mean you shouldn't donate a little something to the dev!
Commonly used widgets
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=761517
How do I customize my home page and change the docks and such?
https://market.android.com/details?id=org.adw.launcher&feature=search_result
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.fede.launcher&feature=search_result
This is a nice and concise introduction. I needed this last week!
Upvoted for the phrase "beer and hookers."
One stop shop very nice!!!!....
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
Thanks for that. I am going to have my wife read this so she can understand more on what to do with her phone, since it is not rooted and still has all that bloatware.
My phone is rooted and I have been testing with 4gLTE off/on, and seriously gained 5 hours when 4gLTE was turned off.
17-18 Hours Almost made it to 19 hours - 4gLTE off - This is with moderate use call/text/IM and some gameplay.
13-14 Hours - 4gLTE on - This is the same as above.
Trying now to talk my wife into letting me root her phone, but alas it is her phone and her choice.
Also if you want to update there is a 4G/LTE app in the Marketplace for the toggle - just search in the Market - LTE - it will show up as a Red Lightning bolt in a grey Circle.
Excellent post!
scubaskm said:
Thanks for that. I am going to have my wife read this so she can understand more on what to do with her phone, since it is not rooted and still has all that bloatware.
My phone is rooted and I have been testing with 4gLTE off/on, and seriously gained 5 hours when 4gLTE was turned off.
17-18 Hours Almost made it to 19 hours - 4gLTE off - This is with moderate use call/text/IM and some gameplay.
13-14 Hours - 4gLTE on - This is the same as above.
Trying now to talk my wife into letting me root her phone, but alas it is her phone and her choice.
Also if you want to update there is a 4G/LTE app in the Marketplace for the toggle - just search in the Market - LTE - it will show up as a Red Lightning bolt in a grey Circle.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, very good! I forgot about the toggle switch. Added and thanked!
Lots of good info, thanks
Awesome, thanks for the tips, should make my experience better.
This is a great post!! I def used some of the battery saving techniques.
Awesome information - wish I would have found this when I first bought my Thunderbolt... better to learn from others than trial and error method sometimes. lol
Thank you for the info... Somw i knew some i didn't... Great one stop for quick reminder..
Sent from my A05PTH3ORYB0LT using Tapatalk
Good stuff. Thank you.
Great post. Just one question. Why do ad-blockers use more battery? Wouldn't it decrease data use and thus battery since it prevents ads from being downloaded?
Thanks for the info!!
def a one stop shop. thank you. info much needed.
Sorry kind of falling behind on updates. Anyone think anything needs to be added???
ScoobarSTI said:
Sorry kind of falling behind on updates. Anyone think anything needs to be added???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
may want to add in the "how to unroot for people who used revolutionary" thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1310014&highlight=revolutionary
Rooted with revolutionary...lost my gps CM7 ROM
Rooted my TB...with revolutionary, installed CM7 ROM. Now my gps doesn't work. Any ideas. Any advice?
I think CM7 has issues with GPS.
Thanks !!
Using Juice Defender lets me go a day and a half without charging. It's awesome !
I just don't know what it is called...
I am looking for an app to turn data on/off at specified times. Something that allows for 3g/4g programing would be great, but anything is better than nothing. Thanks, hive mind!!
I think Tasker does what you want...it'll do pretty much anything! It's a paid app, but well worth it. You can have the phone modify settings, turn on/off settings, or launch apps based on triggers (time, location, etc.). It's a bit difficult to program at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's a breeze. I have it set to turn on wifi when I get close to my house (using aGPS only, to save battery life), and to turn the ringer on when charging (and back to vibrate when not). It's awesome.
Juice defender pro it has a option called night mode but you can set it when ever or just do what I do add a HTC widget to your home page from settings called mobile network and just open it when you want to use it. That saves even more power.
Sent from my Thunderbolt using XDA App
Thanks, MadMan. Exactly what I was looking for! I don't want to press buttons. I want to set it and forget it!
Does Tasker allow data on/off on Gingerbread?
Llama also works great for Froyo, but no more data on/off on Gingerbread.
I listen to TuneIn Radio and iHeart radio a lot. Problem is, when I set my phone on the table and the screen turns off, then Juice Defender turns off my WiFi and it stops the radio stream.
Is it possible to prevent this somehow? I couldn't find it in the Juice Defender settings.
I only want it to stay on when I'm actively playing a stream.
But if it's only possible to leave it on all the time, then I might be okay with that.
Go to the second tab in juice and hit customize. This should bring up a third tab, scroll to the bottom and turn apps on. Then set it up so that whichever app you need data for is set to enable/screen off.
draztikrhymez said:
Go to the second tab in juice and hit customize. This should bring up a third tab, scroll to the bottom and turn apps on. Then set it up so that whichever app you need data for is set to enable/screen off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I had been hitting "customize" but it seems I was missing the "confirm" button that I'm supposed to click next. I went back in after reading your post and found that and now things make more sense.
Tunein JuiceDefender fix
So did this work? I added Tunein to the white list in other battery mgmt progs but it would still stop streamming after a time. It would work fine if I stopped the battery mgmt program. If it worked for you maybe will look again at Juice Defender. I'm trying Battery Booster 3.7 right now it seems to affect Tunein less, but still some.
Jwalknet
It seemed to work for wireless but I couldn't get it stable for data. It kept turning off data intermittently.
I emailed the dev a request for refund but it's been ~48 hours and I haven't heard back.
I would like to disable the ability to disable the GPS in the phones for use with an "invisible fence" app.
I don't care if the toggle in the notification area goes off or on, but I would like the phone to enable GPS on bootup, and just keep it on regardless.
Any ideas?
Why would you want it to stay on? It is a huge battery hog.
voldomart13 said:
Why would you want it to stay on? It is a huge battery hog.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mrcpu said:
I would like to disable the ability to disable the GPS in the phones for use with an "invisible fence" app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think I was pretty clear in the original post.
WTF is an invisible fence app??
and any app that requires GPS, will use GPS as needed. OLD Facebook app version for example, as long as it was on your screen, GPS was constantly locking. But it would kill the battery in less than 2 hours from full charge. so the facebook app changed the gps to lock once every so often, while the app is open on screen.
Other apps run a background service to access GPS at a set or random interval. Google Latitude for example. Not on screen, but will check-in or update location when-ever.
As you see the APP needs to have the set permissions, and options selected.
and in the end. your battery is dead in 2 hours with what you *think* you want
TRusselo said:
WTF is an invisible fence app??
and any app that requires GPS, will use GPS as needed. OLD Facebook app version for example, as long as it was on your screen, GPS was constantly locking. But it would kill the battery in less than 2 hours from full charge. so the facebook app changed the gps to lock once every so often, while the app is open on screen.
Other apps run a background service to access GPS at a set or random interval. Google Latitude for example. Not on screen, but will check-in or update location when-ever.
As you see the APP needs to have the set permissions, and options selected.
and in the end. your battery is dead in 2 hours with what you *think* you want
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is not correct. (at least on the apex rom I'm running).
If you turn off the GPS in settings (not using the toggle on the notification bar), then fire up google maps, the first thing it does is tell you that not all the options for locating the user are turned on, and to go to settings and turn on GPS.
I recall reading somewhere that Google disabled the ability for apps to turn the GPS on and off. They could query it if it was enabled, but couldn't turn it on if it was off.
If the user can turn it off in settings, then that defeats the purpose. I want the GPS on all the time, regardless of settings.
I don't care about battery life, I have 4 captivates in this house, I am well aware of their capabilities and limitations. And I don't really care if you think it's a good idea or not, all I'm asking is if anybody knows of a way.
there is a difference between switching GPS "on" and having GPS activated or locking signal.
in the android settings or with any toogle app, you can turn GPS on or off.
I have it ON 24/7, I bet you do too.
you turn GPS "on", so apps CAN use/activate it if they try to.
you turn GPS "off" to prevent apps from using it, thus reducing battery drain and increasing security.
having GPS on 24/7 doesn't do crap to battery, it depends on the apps, and how they are programmed to use GPS, and if they were programmed to work like you want, they would work like I SAID.
there have been apps that used GPS like you suggested. THEY GOT FIXED. you really dont understand how fast it drains the battery.
and i dont mean to offend, but you also dont understand how the apps interact with the GPS.
Originally Posted by mrcpu
I would like to disable the ability to disable the GPS in the phones for use with an "invisible fence" app.
I think I was pretty clear in the original post.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. You weren't, WHAT THE FRICK an invisible fence app? and how does using the LARGE font help?
house full of captivates? did your dad get a family plan?
Hi folks. I recently bought the juice defender ultimate. I like it, but i find myself turning it on and off often. Simply because i don't get the seemless usage I want out of it. When I stream music and the screen shuts off, then the data also cuts off. Then I don't get emails at the frequency I'd like. I do push e-mails. I assume this is an issue. But it I set my boxes up to update every 5 minutes, would this conflict with the juice defender timer?
Those are my main issues with juice defender. Also, text messages don't come in timely either. Someone please help me set it up better. I'm getting 8-10 hours from my phone with moderate usage.
CP24EVA said:
Hi folks. I recently bought the juice defender ultimate. I like it, but i find myself turning it on and off often. Simply because i don't get the seemless usage I want out of it. When I stream music and the screen shuts off, then the data also cuts off. Then I don't get emails at the frequency I'd like. I do push e-mails. I assume this is an issue. But it I set my boxes up to update every 5 minutes, would this conflict with the juice defender timer?
Those are my main issues with juice defender. Also, text messages don't come in timely either. Someone please help me set it up better. I'm getting 8-10 hours from my phone with moderate usage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On Status tab under Profile select advanced.
On Help tab under Help select show.
Read thorough help information included with each feature.
To continue streaming with screen off go to Triggers tab, under Apps select 'enabled' then under Configure tap on the configure apps button. This'll bring up a list of apps. Select the ones that require streaming to operate (Pandora, internet radio, play music, etc.)
One of the main features of JD is to periodically enable data to conserve battery. I've scheduled mine for 15 minute frequency (see under Schedule tab). I don't get emails or social network updates immediately but it doesn't matter to me.
JD shouldn't impact SMS unless you've set JD to turn on airplane mode. This is because SMS doesn't use data.
Took me a while to get things setup properly. Doing so taught me some things. Its interesting to look at battery stats graph and see active toggling at the frequency set in JD.
Have fun!
Here's an example showing JD regularly toggling Wi-Fi. I have it set to thirty minutes in this case.
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2